Using Technology within the Teacher Preparation Program as a Model for Effective Instruction

This article describes a methods course for teachers of elementary science and how it was enhanced to increase students’ abilities and attitudes toward using technology as a tool in teaching science. The course was enhanced as a result of the Virginia Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (VCEPT) project. Prior to this project, the course was known for its constructivist approach, cooperative group activities, and experiential base that allowed students to actually do and teach elementary science. As a result of VCEPT, the class now also features an elaborate technology component. Technology of many types are regularly modeled in the methods classroom. Students are exposed to and have hands-on experiences with selected technologies and are asked to use technology in order to complete a variety of different projects

Gemcitabine with a specific conformal 3D 5FU radiochemotherapy technique is safe and effective in the definitive management of locally advanced pancreatic cancer

The aim of this phase II study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a specific three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy technique with concurrent continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (CI 5FU) sandwiched between gemcitabine chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients with inoperable cancer in the pancreatic head or body without metastases were given gemcitabine at 1000 mg m−2 weekly for 3 weeks followed by a 1-week rest and a 6-week period of radiotherapy and concurrent CI 5FU (200 mg m−2 day−1). The defined target volume was treated to 54 Gy in 30 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy. After 4 weeks' rest, gemcitabine treatment was re-initiated for three cycles (days 1, 8, 15, q28). Forty-one patients were enrolled. At the end of radiotherapy, one patient (2.4%) had a complete response and four patients (9.6%) had a partial response; at the end of treatment, three patients (7.3%) had a complete response and two patients (4.9%) had a partial response. Median survival time was 11.7 months, median time to progression was 7.1 months, and median time to failure of local control was 11.9 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 46.3 and 9.8%, respectively. Treatment-related grade 3 and 4 toxicities were reported by 16 (39.0%) and four (9.8%) patients, respectively. Sixteen out of 41 patients did not complete the planned treatment and nine due to disease progression. This approach to treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer is safe and promising, with good local control for a substantial proportion of patients, and merits testing in a randomised trial

Routine cognitive errors: A trait-like predictor of individual differences in anxiety and distress

Five studies (N=361) sought to model a class of errors—namely, those in routine tasks—that several literatures have suggested may predispose individuals to higher levels of emotional distress. Individual differences in error frequency were assessed in choice reaction-time tasks of a routine cognitive type. In Study 1, it was found that tendencies toward error in such tasks exhibit trait-like stability over time. In Study 3, it was found that tendencies toward error exhibit trait-like consistency across different tasks. Higher error frequency, in turn, predicted higher levels of negative affect, general distress symptoms, displayed levels of negative emotion during an interview, and momentary experiences of negative emotion in daily life (Studies 2–5). In all cases, such predictive relations remained significant with individual differences in neuroticism controlled. The results thus converge on the idea that error frequency in simple cognitive tasks is a significant and consequential predictor of emotional distress in everyday life. The results are novel, but discussed within the context of the wider literatures that informed them

Recognising and reacting to angry and happy facial expressions: a diffusion model analysis.

Researchers have reported two biases in how people recognise and respond to angry and happy facial expressions: (1) a gender-expression bias (Becker et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol, 92(2):179-190, https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.2.179 , 2007)-faster identification of male faces as angry and female faces as happy and (2) an approach-avoidance bias-faster avoidance of people who appear angry and faster approach responses people who appear happy (Heuer et al. in Behav Res The, 45(12):2990-3001, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2007.08.010 2007; Marsh et al. in Emotion, 5(1), 119-124, https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.5.1.119 , 2005; Rotteveel and Phaf in Emotion 4(2):156-172, https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.4.2.156 , 2004). The aim of the current research is to gain insight into the nature of such biases by applying the drift diffusion model to the results of an approach-avoidance task. Sixty-five participants (33 female) identified faces as either happy or angry by pushing and pulling a joystick. In agreement with the original study of this effect (Solarz 1960) there were clear participant gender differences-both the approach avoidance and gender-expression biases were larger in magnitude for female compared to male participants. The diffusion model results extend recent research (Krypotos et al. in Cogn Emot 29(8):1424-1444, https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.985635 , 2015) by indicating that the gender-expression and approach-avoidance biases are mediated by separate cognitive processes

Anger as “seeing red”: Evidence for a perceptual association

Metaphor representation theory contends that people conceptualise their non-perceptual states (e.g., emotion concepts) in perceptual terms. The present research extends this theory to colour manipulations and discrete emotional representations. Two experiments (N=265) examined whether a red font colour would facilitate anger conceptions, consistent with metaphors referring to anger to “seeing red”. Evidence for an implicit anger-red association was robust and emotionally discrete in nature. Further, Experiment 2 examined the directionality of such associations and found that they were asymmetrical: Anger categorisations were faster when a red font colour was involved, but redness categorisations were not faster when an anger-related word was involved. Implications for multiple literatures are discussed

Cyclopentenyl cytosine increases gemcitabine radiosensitisation in human pancreatic cancer cells

The deoxycytidine analogue 2′,2′-difluoro-2′-deoxycytidine (dFdC, gemcitabine) is a potent radiosensitiser, but has limited efficacy in combination with radiotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer due to acute toxicity. We investigated whether cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC), targetting the ‘de novo' biosynthesis of cytidine triphosphate (CTP), could increase dFdC cytotoxicity alone or in combination with irradiation in a panel of human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Miapaca-2, BxPC-3). To investigate the role of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), the rate-limiting enzyme in the activation of dFdC, human lung cancer cells without (dFdC-resistant SWg) and with an intact dCK gene (dFdC-sensitive SWp) were included. We found that CPEC (100–1000 nmol l−1) specifically reduced CTP levels in a dose-dependent manner that lasted up to 72 h in all cell lines. Preincubation with CPEC resulted in a dose-dependent increase in dFdC incorporated into the DNA only in dFdC-sensitive cells. Consequently, CPEC increased the effectiveness of dFdC (300 nmol l−1 for 4 h) only in dFdC-sensitive cells, which was accompanied by an increase in apoptosis. We also found that CPEC enhanced the radiosensitivity of cells treated with dFdC (30–300 nmol l−1 for 4 h). These results indicate that CPEC enhances the cytotoxicity of dFdC alone and in combination with irradiation in several human tumour cell lines with an intact dCK gene

Roadmap on Atomtronics: State of the art and perspective

Atomtronics deals with matter-wave circuits of ultracold atoms manipulated through magnetic or laser-generated guides with different shapes and intensities. In this way, new types of quantum networks can be constructed in which coherent fluids are controlled with the know-how developed in the atomic and molecular physics community. In particular, quantum devices with enhanced precision, control, and flexibility of their operating conditions can be accessed. Concomitantly, new quantum simulators and emulators harnessing on the coherent current flows can also be developed. Here, the authors survey the landscape of atomtronics-enabled quantum technology and draw a roadmap for the field in the near future. The authors review some of the latest progress achieved in matter-wave circuits' design and atom-chips. Atomtronic networks are deployed as promising platforms for probing many-body physics with a new angle and a new twist. The latter can be done at the level of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium situations. Numerous relevant problems in mesoscopic physics, such as persistent currents and quantum transport in circuits of fermionic or bosonic atoms, are studied through a new lens. The authors summarize some of the atomtronics quantum devices and sensors. Finally, the authors discuss alkali-earth and Rydberg atoms as potential platforms for the realization of atomtronic circuits with special features

Evaluation of Poly-Mechanistic Antiangiogenic Combinations to Enhance Cytotoxic Therapy Response in Pancreatic Cancer

Gemcitabine (Gem) has limited clinical benefits in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The present study investigated combinations of gemcitabine with antiangiogenic agents of various mechanisms for PDAC, including bevacizumab (Bev), sunitinib (Su) and EMAP II. Cell proliferation and protein expression were analyzed by WST-1 assay and Western blotting. In vivo experiments were performed via murine xenografts. Inhibition of in vitro proliferation of AsPC-1 PDAC cells by gemcitabine (10 µM), bevacizumab (1 mg/ml), sunitinib (10 µM) and EMAP (10 µM) was 35, 22, 81 and 6 percent; combination of gemcitabine with bevacizumab, sunitinib or EMAP had no additive effects. In endothelial HUVECs, gemcitabine, bevacizumab, sunitinib and EMAP caused 70, 41, 86 and 67 percent inhibition, while combination of gemcitabine with bevacizumab, sunitinib or EMAP had additive effects. In WI-38 fibroblasts, gemcitabine, bevacizumab, sunitinib and EMAP caused 79, 58, 80 and 29 percent inhibition, with additive effects in combination as well. Net in vivo tumor growth inhibition in gemcitabine, bevacizumab, sunitinib and EMAP monotherapy was 43, 38, 94 and 46 percent; dual combinations of Gem+Bev, Gem+Su and Gem+EMAP led to 69, 99 and 64 percent inhibition. Combinations of more than one antiangiogenic agent with gemcitabine were generally more effective but not superior to Gem+Su. Intratumoral proliferation, apoptosis and microvessel density findings correlated with tumor growth inhibition data. Median animal survival was increased by gemcitabine (26 days) but not by bevacizumab, sunitinib or EMAP monotherapy compared to controls (19 days). Gemcitabine combinations with bevacizumab, sunitinib or EMAP improved survival to similar extent (36 or 37 days). Combinations of gemcitabine with Bev+EMAP (43 days) or with Bev+Su+EMAP (46 days) led to the maximum survival benefit observed. Combination of antiangiogenic agents improves gemcitabine response, with sunitinib inducing the strongest effect. These findings demonstrate advantages of combining multi-targeting agents with standard gemcitabine therapy for PDAC